There are a number of travel hazards that you may not be aware of, so follow these guidelines to be safe during your holiday vacation:
Social media hazard. If you have holiday travel plans, DO NOT announce them on social media or blogs, where other people, not just your friends and relatives, can find out. Let your friends and relatives know in phone calls or secure emails directly to the individuals, NOT on your website or social sites.
Broadcasting your plans tells potential thieves that your residence will be unoccupied during the holidays, inviting a “visit” from them.
Beware facial recognition tools and AI. Also avoid sharing family photos, especially those of children. They can pose privacy risks due to facial recognition tools and AI. Share these photos only with trusted friends and relatives, and avoid posting them publicly.
Vet travel companies and deals. Another problem are the recent ads from “travel companies” with incredibly low fares or hotel/rental rates. Make sure it’s a well-known, reputable company. Also ensure that the website is legitimate and has the complete name of the company without any spelling errors.
If you receive an email from a company like this, check that the email points to the correct website address and not from a domain in the wrong country, such as Russia (.ru), China (.cn), North Korea (.kp), Iran (.ir), or India (.in). Remember: If it’s too good to be true, it’s a scam!
Christmas travel image created by Melanie Votaw.
Holiday greeting emails. Be wary of phishing scams. Cybercriminals exploit the arrival of holiday greetings to send these emails. Avoid suspicious links and attachments, and always verify unexpected communications with the sender, if you personally know them.
Yes, email addresses can and are faked by scammers, but they often don’t bother faking the origin of the email, as they believe that most people don’t pay close attention to who sent the information. Again, always check the original source!
USB ports in airports. Don’t plug your phone, laptop, or other electronics cords into USB ports in airports. They are vulnerable to hackers. Always take a plug and use an electrical outlet anywhere in an airport.
Bullet hits Southwest plane. A Southwest Airlines plane was struck by a bullet on November 15th at Dallas Love Field airport. The plane returned to the gate and was taken out of service, and there were no injuries.
Spirit Airlines bankruptcy. Spirit has filed for bankruptcy, but it may very well continue to operate after reorganizing.
Gladiator experience at Rome’s Colosseum. In the last travel news, I told you that Airbnb has planned a fully costumed gladiator experience at the Colosseum next year, but Romans aren’t at all happy about it. One of them said it will turn the landmark into a “theme park.” They have a point.
Gladiator. Photo by Barskefranck.
Tourist syndrome.USA Today has reported that a survey of about 1,200 American adults in October showed that 56.5% of them admitted to “tourist syndrome” when traveling. This means they do something out of character, and nearly half of them broke a law while they were on vacation. I assume this is probably due to excessive drinking, but it’s definitely disturbing.
The crowding continues. Some travelers are cutting their dream vacations short because the places they’ve chosen to visit are just too crowded or aren’t quite as gorgeous as Instagram photos made them out to be. It’s true that light has a lot to do with the beauty of photos, not to mention the Photoshop enhancement that many photographers resort to.
Wales tourist tax. Wales is planning to institute a tourist tax in 2027 that will add 1.25 pounds per night to hotel stays and .75 pound per night to campsite and hostel stays. They’re hoping to use the funds to preserve the Welsh language.
From the “now I’ve heard everything” department. A Korean was arrested November 8th when he allegedly tried to smuggle 325 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and a few bullet ants on an Air France flight from Lima, Peru to Paris, where he planned to connect to a flight to Seoul, South Korea. He had the spiders and insects in plastic bags and strapped to his body. Ewwwww! “Snakes on a Plane” had nothin’ on this guy.
Ghost Hill Cellars is a fifth-generation farm in the Yamhill-Carlton District of Willamette Valley, Oregon. The land was purchased by the Bayliss family in 1906 and started as a dairy. Then, it became a sheep farm, followed by a cattle farm. Today, the combination of the Bayliss and Bower families is devoted to wine, but they do rent a substantial amount of the property to other farmers.
When they decided to grow grapes, they didn’t exactly know how to do it. So they brought in Ken Wright of Ken Wright Cellars, who tasted the dirt and looked at the soil conditions. He liked it so much that he offered to buy it, but they knew that meant they had something great. So Ken ended up buying the property right next door with his partner, Tony Soter, while Ghost Hill set about learning the art of growing grapes.
Ghost Hill Cellars vineyard. Photo courtesy of Ghost Hill Cellars.
What’s so special about this location? The vineyard is located in what has become known as the “Savannah Ridge” part of the Willamette Valley, where they get lots of rainfall. It consists of 100% Willakenzie series soil on top of marine sediment bedrock and is almost perfectly southwest-facing at an elevation of 400 feet.
At first, the family grew grapes and sold them to other wineries. Then, they produced their own first vintage in 2006, exactly 100 years after the land was purchased by the Bayliss’s. Today, with 24 acres under vine on the 234-acre estate, they produce 1,500 cases annually. It’s a Certified Sustainable vineyard and salmon-safe.
Ghost Hill Cellars vineyard. Photo courtesy of Ghost Hill Cellars.
They grow five clones of pinot noir that thrive in their soil and climate. The vintage can be quite different from year to year, however. With warmer temperatures, they find they’ve been picking the grapes earlier and earlier in the season.
Ghost Hill only had a temporary winemaker in the beginning. Then, they were lucky enough to bring on Eric Hamacher in 2015, who is a luminary in the Oregon wine world. His approach is traditional and very similar to that of Burgundy winemakers, with natural wild yeast fermentation, gravity-powered handling, and minimal intervention. Working for the family took him back to his roots.
Mostly, he doesn’t fight the vintage. “The best wines are still made by resisting the temptation to do something,” he says. It’s a “lighter” style typical in Oregon that involves letting the fruit and terroir shine through.
Ghost Hill Cellars vineyard. Photo courtesy of Ghost Hill Cellars.
Ghost Hill wines spend 18-24 months in barrel, and all are estate wines except for the sparking wine. They produce four Pinot Noirs. Pinot Noir Blanc, which is made with no skin contact, Pinot Noir Rose, Bayliss-Bower Vineyard Pinot Noir, and Prospector’s Reserve Pinot Noir. The latter is made from the oldest vines on the estate.
When asked which wine she likes best, Bernadette Bayliss-Bower said, “The wines are like children. You love them all the same for their own traits.”
Ghost Hill Cellars logo. Photo courtesy of Ghost Hill Cellars.
But what about the name? Where does “Ghost Hill” come from? When the property was purchased, it was on what was already known as Ghost Hill Military Road because during the Gold Rush, a man camped there, where he and his horse were both attacked for their treasure. In 1906, when the Bayliss family purchased the property, his bones were still visible there, as well as the horse’s saddle. So Ghost Hill Cellars is known as a haunted winery, as the miner’s ghost supposedly still wanders the hill, trying to find his stolen gold. Their logo pays tribute to the miner.
Ghost Hill Cellars tasting room. Photo courtesy of Ghost Hill Cellars.
You can visit Ghost Hill, which has a new large tasting room (as of April 2024) built to look like an elegant barn and with 360-degree views of the Willamette Valley. The winery’s hospitality center features retractable glass doors, a fireplace, and outdoor firepits. The tabletops are large slabs of black walnut, and the bar was made from a floor beneath the altar of the nearby Trappist Abbey chapel.
Of course, they can also ship to many states within the U.S.
I received a complimentary bottle of their Pinot Noir Blanc, which has a beautiful rose gold color. I enjoyed its acidity and notes of citrus (including lemon), pear, red cherries, and rose.
Almost daily in Facebook travel groups and Broadway show fan pages, people ask where to eat in Times Square. Part of the problem is that there are so many restaurants that it can be hard to choose.
So below are 10 restaurants that I personally recommend. Most are mid-range in terms of price ($20-$30 for entrees), so these aren’t luxury, nor are they bargains. But they’re all good and in the Times Square theater district.
If none of these appeal, or you have another type of cuisine in mind, I highly recommend walking a block west of the theater district to Ninth Avenue. If you stroll between 42nd Street and 52nd Street, you’ll have a ton of restaurants to choose from. I often find that tourists don’t go any farther west than Eighth Avenue, so they miss this incredible stretch of eateries.
Another stretch to check out is West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. It’s actually called “Restaurant Row,” so you should be able to find something there.
Meanwhile, here are my recommendations.
Italian #1: Mama Mia 44SW. This Italian restaurant is on Ninth Avenue at the southwest corner of West 44th Street. It has been one of my go-to eateries in the theater district for years. My mainstay here is the salad with chicken, apples, walnuts, and goat cheese. But the pizza and traditional Italian dishes from capellini primavera to shrimp scampi are also excellent.
Mama Mia 44SW Restaurant. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Italian #2: Becco. This Restaurant Row place on West 46th Street is popular with theater-goers. It has slightly higher priced dishes like lamb chops and veal, and it has an extensive dessert menu. Try their signature braised veal shank with farro risotto tossed with butternut squash or Peperoni Ripieni, which is Cubanelle peppers stuffed with beef, pork, and veal, braised in tomato sauce with crispy spaetzle. Most entrees cost $30-$50.
Mexican #1: Arriba Arriba. There are certainly several Mexican restaurants in the theater district, but this one has been my favorite for decades. Located on Ninth Avenue at West 51st Street, it’s best for when you’re going to theaters that are farther uptown like the Broadway, the Gershwin, and Circle in the Square. My favorite dish here is their chicken molé, which comes with refried beans, rice, and tortillas.
Mexican #2: Sombrero. This small restaurant serves excellent Mexican food on West 48th Street just west of Eighth Avenue. It’s a perfect location for some of the theaters that are a little farther uptown in the district (like the Longacre), and the prices are good for the neighborhood. On a recent visit, I had an excellent glass of white sangria and tasty Pollo Cantina, which consisted of grilled chicken, sauteed vegetables, Spanish rice, and a mango tequila salsa sauce.
Pollo Cantina at Sombrero Restaurant. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Indian: Utsav. This is my go-to Indian restaurant in the district. Nice ambiance, good service, extensive menu, and mid-ranged prices. It’s on Sixth Avenue between West 46th and West 47th Streets, which is just east of the theater district. You can get vegetarian dishes, as well as seafood, chicken, lamb, and goat. There are also several desserts available.
Irish Pub: Connolly’s. NYC has many Irish pubs with terrific food. This is my choice in the theater district. The menu is pretty extensive, whether you’re ordering food, ale, or lager. The food is also quite eclectic. Along with bangers & mash, Irish stew, and chicken pot pie, you’ll find nachos, an Aztec turkey burger, and coconut chicken curry. There are also a few vegetarian options, all at reasonable prices for midtown Manhattan. It’s located on West 45th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway, just east of most of the theater district.
Marseille French restaurant. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
French #1: Marseille. This is probably the most upscale restaurant on my list, but it’s also a favorite when I want French cuisine. It’s conveniently located on Ninth Avenue at West 44th Street. They have an oyster happy hour from 3:30-5:30pm every day, or you can have bouillabaisse, seafood, steak, chicken, lamb, or vegetarian couscous. My personal favorite is the duck leg confit with flageolet bean ragoût, tomato, zucchini, and crispy pancetta. Most entrees are more than $30.
French #2: Cafe Un Deux Trois. Yes, you can order moules frites, beef tartare, croques monsieur, and boeuf bourguignon at this informal restaurant, but my favorite thing to eat here are the crepes – one chicken, one seafood, and two vegetarian options. They also serve a $30 prix fixe lunch and a $48 prix fixe dinner, as well as brunch on the weekends. Located on West 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, it’s just east of the main theater district.
The West Bank Cafe. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
American/Eclectic #1: West Bank Cafe. This beloved theater district institution has been struggling since Covid, so I highly recommend giving them a try. Beautiful ambiance and excellent food, you just might see some Broadway stars here. It’s located on Ninth Avenue at West 42nd Street and has a theater in the basement. For dinner, they have a salad and pasta special for $29, or you can order a burger, seafood, roasted chicken, steak, or eggplant. They also make a mean tiramisu.
American/Eclectic #2: Sardi’s. If you want to eat at a famous theater haunt, this is the place to be. You’ll find all the famous caricatures of Broadway stars on the wall, and you can have a decent meal and glass of wine here as well. It’s been at its West 44th Street location between Seventh and Eighth Avenues since 1927. You’ll find a menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood, pasta, and steak. It’s classic fare, and main courses run from $24-$39. Again, you might find some famous people here also enjoying their pre- or post-show meal.
The iconic Sardi’s Restaurant. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
If you’ve always thought Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice was missing a bikini-clad, pole-dancing Portia, cast members in Batman masks, and puppets fellating each other, the Arlekin Players Theatre and Jadow Productions version at Classic Stage Company will be tailor-made for you. (The top photo by Pavel Antonov is of Alexandra Silber as Portia and José Espinosa as Bassanio.)
I thought the current Broadway production of Romeo + Juliet, starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, was outrageous in its attempts to modernize Shakespeare’s text and bring the story to a younger generation. But the Arlekin Players production of Merchant of Venice is outrageous times ten.
T.R. Knight (Antonio). Photo by Pavel Antonov.
Clearly, Jewish Ukrainian director Igor Golyak wants to show the absurdity of the antisemitism in the play and emphasize that it was written as a comedy with commedia dell’arte elements. Granted, he’s successful at this in some respects.
I was completely on board with having Shylock wear Groucho glasses with an exaggerated nose, moustache, and eyebrows, as well as a Dracula cape and vampire teeth (at least part of the time). I was even on board when the audience was instructed to “boo” at Shylock, making him like the villain who ties a damsel to train tracks.
T.R. Knight (Antonio), Richard Topol (Shylock). Photo by Pavel Antonov.
I might have been able to even get on board with some of the other antics if Golyac hadn’t layered so much silliness in a way that seems utterly random. Why fellating puppets? Why does Portia wear a Superman costume when she gives her famous courtroom speech? Why does she run through the stage briefly in a big inflated unicorn costume? Why do characters break into contemporary song?
Why is the entire production set on the soundstage of a small-time internet show, and why does Antonio tell us at the beginning that the sets are broken and most people have quit?
None of this made any sense to me, and it simply made the production a chaotic mess that became more and more tedious as the two hours went on. It also took away from the tragic element of the story.
T.R. Knight (Antonio), Richard Topol (Shylock). Trial Scene. Photo by Pavel Antonov.
I did laugh at times, especially when Portia’s suitors were portrayed as terrible potential dates on Tinder. But then, as the courtroom scene finally arrived, the tone of the production completely shifted to seriousness. By then, however, it was too late. The tragedy of the antisemitism that Shylock had constantly endured and the bitterness it had created in him was mostly lost after all the inane stage action. The tragedy of a legal penalty that ripped him of his soul by denying him his religion and forcing him to convert to Christianity also barely registered.
I know Golyak wanted to confront the audience and have an impact on them with what he believes is an inherently antisemitic play, but I don’t think he achieved that ultimate result with this crazy take on it.
The cast of The Merchant of Venice in batman masks. Photo by Pavel Antonov.
That said, the cast performed all of the silliness with aplomb and energy. T.R. Knight, who is best known as George on Grey’s Anatomy, was charming and funny as the modern-day host of the internet show who portrays the antisemitic Antonio. Alexandra Silber did her best with what she was given in this insane version of Portia, and Richard Topol was as stellar as he could be as a silly Shylock who shifted to his humanity in the famous speech that begins, “Hath not a Jew eyes…” José Espinosa was another standout as Bassanio.
If you’re a Shakespeare purist, you’ll want to skip this one, but if you’re interested in innovative adaptations of the Bard, check it out at Classic Stage through December 22, 2024.
When my friend told me he was leaving New York City for the much smaller city of Norwich, England to take over his dad’s fish & chips shop, I couldn’t imagine why. Wouldn’t he get bored?
Then, I visited him in his idyllic town with a population of just over 200,000 and an excellent location near the central eastern coast of the country. As he opened up his shop in the morning, locals passed by and waved. There were friendly faces everywhere, as people sat across the cobblestone street in nice weather. They played with their kids, listened to buskers, read, or simply enjoyed a chat. It was all so gentile and civilized.
“Is there much crime here?” I asked my friend.
“No, the crime rate is fairly low,” he told me.
“Okay,” I said. “Now, I get it.”
As if Norwich weren’t beautiful enough, it also has canals. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Besides the friendly people, what I love most about Norwich is the historic architecture. When I use the word “idyllic,” I don’t use it frivolously. In the 11th century, the city was England’s second largest. You can still see that legacy in its winding streets, some narrow and cobblestone, that mix contemporary buildings with the medieval. You’ll see markers on buildings that date back to that time in the 11th century, including Norwich Castle, which was built by the Normans. Displays inside include animations that give you a taste of life during Henry I’s time period.
Norwich Castle was built in the 11th century. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Another 900-year-old building is the Romanesque Norwich Cathedral with the second tallest spire in the country, as well as the largest monastic cloisters. There are beautiful grounds and gates surrounding the Cathedral, and a canal runs through one of the gates.
Norwich Cathedral watches over a statue of the Duke of Wellington. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
While at the cathedral, look for Nosey Parker’s coat of arms, which are on the wall of the northwest corner of the cloisters. He’s one of Norwich’s most famous residents. Appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1559, his real name was Matthew, but he got his nickname because he did such a careful job of cleaning up the Church of England, making sure he knew everyone’s business.
The Great Hospital is an example of a 13th century medical facility, with 250 black eagles painted on the chancel ceiling of the cloisters. Meanwhile, the 14th century Halls, which consist of St. Andrew’s Hall and Blackfriars Hall, are the most complete medieval friary complex in England.
Strangers’ Hall is a 14th century building that’s now a museum. There is a Tudor great hall, a Georgian dining room, a room with dollhouses, and a 17th century garden.
One of Norwich’s narrow, winding streets. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Norwich is also known for its rich literary history, as one of only six UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world. Besides literary events held annually, the city has England’s most popular library – the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library.
Also a college town, there are lots of young people in Norwich, who keep the city hip at the same time that it’s steeped in tradition. New restaurants open regularly, and there are a variety of cuisines available. Among my favorites are The Belgian Monk with its three-page beer menu and Benedicts, helmed by Chef Richard Bainbridge, a winner of the BBC’s competition TV show, “Great British Menu.”
My friend’s fish & chips shop, Grosvenor Fish Bar, is considered the city’s favorite. Located at Pottergate and Lower Goat Lane on the famed cobblestone Norwich Lanes, the shop serves more than just fish. It also serves patrons at The Birdcage pub across the street when they want to have a pint with their food.
Grosvenor Fish Bar on Norwich’s famous Lanes. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Don’t leave town without having a pint at Adam and Eve, though – the oldest pub in Norwich, purportedly dating back to the 13th century. The current building is not the original, however, but was built in the 17th century (which, by U.S. standards is still pretty old!)
If you’re into shopping, check out the many shops on The Lanes, where you’ll find a subsidiary of London’s Irregular Choice shoe store, where the shoes are works of art. Then, there’s the largest permanent open-air market in England with stands that have multicolored roofs.
To reach Norwich, it takes about two hours by train from London’s Liverpool Street station. It’s the perfect jumping off point for visiting the coast and other sites in Norfolk, such as Great Yarmouth and The Broads, which consist of more than 125 miles of manmade, lock-free waterways.
All whisky or whiskey is made from three basic ingredients: water, grain, and yeast. But there is a very wide range of products. They depend on where they’re made, the legal and tradition-required differences in the water and grain used, how the distilling is done, and what the aging process involves.
American bourbon, for example, must be made from American corn or rye, and it must be distilled and bottled in the United States. Single Malt Scotch, by law, must be created using only a malted barley mash at a single distillery and has to be bottled in Scotland.
But these days, there are producers that combine tradition and legal requirements with innovative practices to create a uniquely tasting spirit.
Normally, I’m an Islay whisky fan who loves the deep, smoky flavors of Islay single malts, but the three producers that I recently discovered, 2 Americans and an Irish, make quite different spirits that in my opinion should be tasted. They are quite dissimilar from other products in the whiskey or whisky family and could be considered a very good addition to your whiskey repertory.
The American bourbons are: the Samuel Maverick, Texas Straight Bourbon Private Reserve Whiskey, and Milam & Greene’s Whiskey Unabridged, Volume 3 Bourbon. The Irish one is the Triple Dog Irish Whiskey.
Three whiskey tasting glasses. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The Samuel Maverick is dated and numbered. My bottle is dated 11-94 with bottle number 405. This bottle has a Samuel Maverick signature embossed on the attractive, clear glass that allows viewing the contents. Seven barrels of the four-year-old bourbon were bottled for this limited small-batch release. It’s a hand-crafted, premium, straight bourbon.
Rich amber in color, it boasts aromas of scented honey, barbecue, and roasted nuts. I consider it a full-bodied bourbon with velvety texture and warm vanilla, as well as a subdued caramel flavor from Texas sweet corn.
Another exceptional American tipple is the beautifully packaged bottle of Milam & Greene’s Bourbon Whiskey, Unabridged Volume 3. It’s at cask-strength and non-chill filtered. It’s a blend of six different whiskeys. A total of 49 barrels distilled in the three states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas were used to create Unabridged Volume 3.
This bourbon is the color of mahogany and has aromas of caramelized brown sugar with subtle notes of honeysuckle, almond, cigar box, and old leather. On the palate, it’s smooth with notes of sweet crème brûlée, vanilla, roasted nuts, and a hint of malted chocolate.
The Triple Dog bottle is stamped with an “establishment” date of 1916, though I don’t understand why the date is stamped on the label and not just printed the same way other information is printed on that label. The establishment date doesn’t change!
The bottle is graded from black at the top until about 3/4 down to transparent at the bottom, where you can see the color of the liquid inside. It has a miniature studded dog collar around the neck, which reminds me of the forensic scientist “Abby Sciuto” character on the TV show NCIS.
But enough about appearances. What’s important is the taste of the contents!
I tasted all the whiskeys with just a small splash of very cold water to bring up the aroma and taste, and I also tried them neat.
Maverick Whiskey Private Reserve Bottle. Photo courtesy of Samuel Maverick.
The Samuel Maverick Private Reserve Bourbon is a bottled-in-bond whiskey, distilled in small batches using select Texas-grown corn, rye, and barley, and aged on-site in the historic vaults below the Maverick distillery which is located steps away from the Alamo.
Our tasters thought the whiskey was very notable with an intense amber color, profound aromas of clover, nutmeg, and honey, Texas barbecue, and a hint of roasted walnuts. There are also bittersweet chocolate flavors hiding at the long finish, and we considered it to be a quite attractive drink!
The Milam & Greene’s Bourbon Whiskey, Unabridged Volume 3 is at cask-strength. It’s bottled at 59% ABV, which translates to 118 proof! In both 2022 and 2023, it was recognized as a Double Platinum winner in the Ascot Awards. It was very smooth when I tasted it, and the notes of honeysuckle, almond, marzipan, and baking spice came through to make it a remarkable drink. The bottle is clear, which showcases the bourbon’s clarity and color.
Then, from across the ocean, there is Triple Dog, an unconventional Irish whiskey, which is an eccentrically styled, true-tasting spirit. It’s different from other more traditional Irish brands I had tried in the past because of its individuality.
Triple Dog Irish Whiskey. Photo courtesy of Triple Dog.
The Triple Dog Irish Whiskey is an extremely smooth, golden-colored, new Irish triple-distilled tipple created in traditional copper pots and copper column stills, using both malted and unmalted Irish grain and water from the Cooley Mountains.
It has a rather modern taste profile. Crafted on the east coast of Ireland, each bottle contains spirit aged for a minimum of four years in French oak casks. There is a distinct aroma of toasted caramel, oak, crème brûlée, rich honey, and light vanilla, plus hints of baking spices and baked apples, followed by a citrusy finish.
All were very enjoyable, but to be honest, I did like the Triple Dog’s considerable smoothness a little more. The prices for these whiskeys are logical for the quality they represent. The Samuel Maverick Private Reserve Bourbon is around $72 per bottle depending on location, the Milam & Greene varies between $93 to $101 per bottle, and the Triple Dog is around $40, also depending on location.
To your health . . . and since the Triple Dog comes from the Verdant Isle, Sláinte!
This 4-star hotel, Le Meridien Fifth Avenue, is located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan between East 30th and East 31st Streets. That makes it a stone’s throw from the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, Macy’s, and the West 34th Street shopping district. It’s also quite close to Times Square.
I had occasion to stay there recently, and it was a positive experience, even if I can’t call my time there “stellar.” As is true of most Manhattan hotels, my room was small, and I didn’t get the same array of services that I might get at a 4-star property elsewhere. But the doormen and ground floor staff were exceptionally friendly.
It’s a Marriott hotel, so if you’re a Bonvoy member, you can get some perks. And as 4-star, centrally located Manhattan hotels go, I do recommend it as an affordable luxury option. You won’t get as much as you’d get at a 5-star hotel, but you’ll also pay a fraction of what you’d pay for those 5 stars.
A lobby lounge area at Le Meridien Fifth Avenue Hotel. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Unlike many Manhattan hotels, though, Le Meridien Fifth Avenue has a fitness center, a restaurant, and room service. No pets are allowed, but there are some accessibility options available for those who need them. Valet parking is available, but it’s $75 per day. Wi-Fi is free, and dry cleaning service is available.
My room at Le Meridien Fifth Avenue Hotel. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I had seen some photos of rooms with bathrobes, but mine didn’t have one. My room had a mini-fridge and a safe, but no minibar. The bedding was very comfortable, however, and the room wasn’t noisy, as many Manhattan properties can be.
My room at Le Meridien Fifth Avenue Hotel. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
There was a small sitting area and a desk area as well with a large TV overhead the desk. There were plenty of outlets next to the bed, which I also appreciate. The bathroom with shower was quite small, but there were a few shelves that allowed me to spread out my toiletries.
My bathroom at Le Meridien Fifth Avenue. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The information packet I found on my bed. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
It’s very unusual for NYC hotels to have in-house restaurants. Allora in Le Meridien serves Italian cuisine from 7am-11pm daily with a $49.95 three-course prix fixe menu for lunch.
The Allora restaurant sign at Le Meridien Fifth Avenue. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
It also serves breakfast and dinner, of course. Try the Pappardelle Bolognese or Chicken Marsala.
The author did not receive anything complimentary at this property.
Staying in luxury hotels, especially the ones known as “The Grand Dames,” you might be given the services of a butler if you book a suite or return as a “valued guest.”
Valentin, our butler on the Uniworld River Queen. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Butlers in a luxury hotel or on a cruise will act, in essence, as a floor supervisor, usually covering a single floor and making sure that the hotel’s services – such as housekeeping, food, and beverage – are delivered timely. Butlers also ensure the quality of the service you receive.
Butlers are usually available to guests at the top hotels in Europe – in London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Milan, Torino, Zurich, Geneva, Istanbul, etc., as well as premier hotels in Asia.
The living room of our suite at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, The Peninsula in Kowloon, Hong Kong, and the Imperial in Tokyo are legendary for their service efficiency and will offer butler service in their top rooms and suites.
It’s important to remember that while in Europe, most luxury hotels offer a 1 to 1 guest to staff ratio. Many hotels in Asia, however, offer as high a ratio as 3 to 1 –three staff for every single guest. Some of the more luxurious cruise lines, such as Cunard and Uniworld River Cruises, also have butlers for their better staterooms.
A seasonal fresh fruit welcome platter, which is often part of Butler service. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
In the 1980s and 1990s while I was doing marketing work for The Leading Hotels of the World, I stayed in at least a couple dozen of their top-rated hotels throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
I vividly remember my suite’s butler presenting me with a variety of aromatic, designer soaps on a silver platter at the Peninsula in Honk Kong. Returning to my Claridge’s suite in London after a long day of building soundtracks at the Abbey Road Studio, my butler delivered a platter of savory appetizers and a nice bottle of cold champagne within seconds of my return for the night.
At the Hotel de la Paix in Geneva, the butler unpacked for me and had my suit and shirt pressed so that I could speak at a conference the afternoon of my arrival. At the Hotel du Rhone, there was fresh fruit waiting for me on arrival, and my shoes were shined to a high gloss while I was sleeping after an overnight flight from New York and four hours of business meetings.
Pastries delivered to our room by our butler at the Hyde Park Hotel in London. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
During my stays at the Hyde Park in London, I arrived to a bowl of ripe fresh fruit in my room, and there was always a plate of miniature pastries on my suite’s desk in the afternoon. Also, the pods for the suite’s coffee machine were replenished every day, and fresh bottles of water were placed next to the coffeemaker in every hotel I stayed.
In Bangkok, the butler delivered bilingual business cards and stationery printed with my information. At Reid’s Hotel in Madeira, after the butler found out during a casual conversation that I like chocolate as a pick-me-up, a silver tray was delivered every afternoon with a good-sized chocolate bar.
Even most top hotels not affiliated with The Leading Hotels offer similar butler services, such as the Stanley & Livingston Hotel near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and the Bristol in Geneva. The Bristol is officially rated as a 4-star property, but it definitely delivers 5-star level services. Have you ever had butler service at a hotel or on a cruise? If so, leave a comment about your experience.
Hotel rooms inspired by Wicked.New York Hilton Midtown hotel is collaborating with Universal Pictures to create a one-of-a-kind suite inspired by the Broadway show and upcoming movie, Wicked.
Canned air? In Lake Como, they’re selling cans of the local air for people to take home as a souvenir. Now, I’ve heard everything!
Bye bye baby. A video of a man holding a baby on an airplane has gone viral as the baby says “bye bye” to each passenger while they disembark. It’s time for all airlines to have a “bye bye baby” on every flight, don’t you think? (But I guess child labor laws would be a problem.)
Wouldn’t you love a “bye bye baby” on your flight? (Stock photo)
Hyatt Place breakfast. Hyatt Place hotels are testing how guests react to paying for breakfast. Right now, breakfast is free at these properties, but that might change in the future. To that, we say BOO!
Gunfire in the air. A Spirit Airlines flight and a JetBlue flight were shot by gang gunfire while flying through Port-au-Prince airport in Haiti. No one was hurt, but the FAA in the US suspended air travel through that airport until Monday, and JetBlue’s spokesperson says that airline has suspended flights to and from Haiti until at least December 2.
Apple AirTag news. Apple has added a new feature to its Apple AirTags (I’m a big fan of these), which allows you to share its location with others, including an airline. This could help people be reunited with lost bags much sooner.
Gladiator. Photo by Barskefranck.
Fulfill your gladiator fantasy! Airbnb is offering a gladiator experience with costumes in Rome’s Colosseum May 7 and 8, 2025. Book it quick!
Overcrowding strikes again. This time, Pompeii, Italy is set to restrict the number of visitors who want to see the fragile ruins there.
New Chase airport lounges. I like JFK’s Chase Sapphire lounge. Now, they’re planning to open more lounges, but it won’t be easy to get into them. There’s already a new one in Phoenix, and one opens in San Diego in early December. Others will open soon in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. But you have to have a Chase Sapphire Reserve, JP Morgan Reserve, or Ritz-Carlton branded credit card to enter. Others might get one free pass a year. After that, you might be able to get access, but it will cost you $75. (I have yet to see a lounge worth that much.)
